Hope for the Future
by alatane
Summary: It has been eight months since Second Earth was destroyed. Yuji and pregnant Marlene are awaiting the birth of their child, and things seem hopeful for humanity for the first time in a long time. But something grim awaits the couple. COMPLETED.
1. Plans

This is my first fanfiction. I really enjoyed Blue Gender and that's why I'm writing this. I hope you will enjoy this.

Hope for the Future

Chapter 1 

It had been eight months since the destruction of Second Earth and the peace between the people of Earth and the Planet's will had been finalized by Yuji. There had been no sighting of Blue within that time, and it seemed that the human race could finally begin anew.

Yuji and Marlene had set up a home in South America with the villagers, but were rarely in it. They had been traveling around the world using the military shuttles, seeking out survivors of the human race. If the human race was to recover, a method of communication had to be established between the groups spread over the world, so Yuji and Marlene were setting up communication arrays with whoever they found. They also always brought two Armor Shrikes with them in case they met with hostility. They were not going to take any chances with the end of Marlene's pregnancy in sight.

Yuji had asked Marlene to stay at the village, but she had insisted that they stay together no matter what, so she traveled with him. At the moment, they were in the shuttle, flying towards Tokyo. Marlene and Yuji were in the cockpit, the only two people on the ship.

"It's not going to be too long now," Marlene said, stroking her protruding stomach. She had given up military armor and was wearing a civilian dress.

"Yeah," Yuji muttered from the pilot's chair, half-heartedly. He still wore his armor whenever they left the village. There was always a chance they'd run into a group of soldiers who had made it off of Second Earth that weren't friendly.

Marlene turned to face him. "What's wrong?"

Yuji sighed. He hadn't wanted to talk about this, but he felt that he should. "I've just been thinking about things for the past eight months, since you told me we were going to have a child. Of course, I've been happy to be with you and have a child with you in these new times. But i can't stop comparing how we're doing things to the morals of the time I came from. In this time, casual relationships and pregnancy happen at any age here. In my time, people usually waited until their mid-twenties and got married before going so far. The moralities don't apply in this time anymore, but I can't help thinking that we, or rather I, won't be able to be a good parent. I nearly killed you when you tried to save me from the B-cells. I'm just scared that I'll do something horrible. And I don't know what kind of life I can give this child. When I came from, there were so many resources for raising and educating children. But here, all we can use is what we make. I don't know if I can raise a child in this time."

Marlene pondered over what he said for a moment, then stood up, walked over to him, and kissed him on the lips. "Yuji, I didn't live in the time you came from; I've lived in this one. I don't know what future awaits us or our child, but I do know this. We will support each other, and this child to the best of our abilities. And as long as we do our best, there is nothing we cannot over come." She chuckled. "I mean, if two people not even in their twenties can kill a coreless, super Blue, raising a kid won't be so bad for them."

Yuji smiled and gently rested his head on her stomach. "Thank you, Marlene. I'm glad that you were the one who woke me up. Without you, I know I'd either be dead, or a slave to the B-cells. But because of you, I've survived, I'm happy, peace has been established between the Earth and it's people, I've been purged of the B-cells, and I'm going to gain a family. I love you. You're right. Things will be ok." He patted her stomach. "The kid's getting pretty big. I think it's a boy."

Marlene chuckled. "I think they're are two little girls growing in here. We haven't settled on a name or names yet."

"Yeah, but we've got ideas and when the time comes, I know we'll make the right call." There was a beeping coming from the console. "We'll be in Japan soon. There's something I want to get at the cryo facility I was stored in before we look for survivors. Be ready to disembark."

_Well, this was the first part of my first fanfic. I hope you enjoy it. I don't know if anyone will find and read this, but fear not; with or without reviews, I will finish this story. What to look forward to; Marlene going into labor, amd the will of the Earth again tries to save the planet, but at what cost? Don't understand? Be patient._


	2. Arrival

Sorry for the delay in updating. College is a little busy right now. Just give me a few more days, and please don't feed me to the blue in anger. Okay, lame joke, but at least it makes sense.

Chapter 2

Arrival

They set down a few miles away from the cryo facility since there wasn't enough clear area to land nearby it. Yuji wanted to take the Armor Shrikes, but Marlene insisted that she could manage the walk. As they walked towards the facility, they relished in the view. It was incredible to see how in less than a year, most of the traces of the Blue had faded. Their cocoons, eggs, webbings, whatever, were all gone. There were only three things left that showed they had even existed; the destruction the had left behind, the diminished population of the planet, and the Blue graveyard in South America where Yuji had met the will of the Earth.

Yuji took a deep breath, attempting to block out any disturbing memories with the good ones he already had and were still being made. "It's great to be back in Japan."

Marelene glanced at him and sighed. She couldn't share the experience of returning home with him. Second Earth had been where she had lived, but it had never been home. "It must be nice to come back to a peaceful home."

Yuji stopped, faced Marlene, and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Marlene, Japan may be where I have lived most of my life, but since we fell in love, my only home has been with you."

Marlene smiled. "Thank you, Yuji."

They resumed their walk, and before long, had arrived at the facility. After finding a safe entrance, they wandered around the now Blue free hallways.

"You never said what you were looking for here," Marlene said, placing her hand on her stomach as she felt a slight twinge. It quickly passed.

"Before we were frozen, we were allowed to place items in storage for when we were woken. I left a few things, mementos, books, things like that. But I remember that there wer a few scholarly types who were frozen when I was, and they had placed educational material in storage. I'm hoping to salvage whatever information we can."  
  
"But, Yuji, the databanks we brought from Second Earth probably has most of this information already."

"True, but I want to have as much information as possible to pass on to the future." Yuji stared hard at Marlene. "The future has to learn from the past. It was the mistakes that humanity made as a race that nearly led to our extinction. I want to make sure we never repeat those mistakes. I don't want the children who are yet to be born to go through what we already have."

Marlene covered her stomach protectively with her arms. She understood how Yuji felt. She would rather die than let her children suffer.

They continued wandering the halls, looking for the storage area. Seeing these corridors brought back the memories of when Marlene and Yuji first met each other. It wasn't a very pleasant memory, as Blue had attacked them as Yuji had woken up. Suddenly, Marlene remembered a particular detail and burst out laughing.

Yuji eyed her curiously. "What's so funny?"

Marlene stopped laughing long enough to talk. "I was remembering how, after you ran away from us and ran into that Blue, that you got so scared that you peed your pants." She then started laughing again and Yuji joined her.

"Hey, I was scared. I'd like to see how calm you'd act when –"

Their laughter cut off when Marlene gave a sharp gasp and sank to the floor. Quickly, Yuji kenlt down beside her. "Marlene, what's wrong!?"

Breathing heavily for a second, Marlene looked at Yuji with worry in her eyes. "I've just found another thing we have in common, Yuji."

Yuji didn't understand what she was saying. "What do you mean?"

She no longer looked worried; she was scared. "We've both soaked the floor here. My water just broke. The baby's on its way."

Yuji froze. Amd quickly summed up the situation in his head. _This is bad_. Neither of them had expected this to happen. Her estimated delivery date wasn't supposed to be for two more weeks. They had no transportation back to their ship; and they had no medical supplies available except for what was in the facility, and that was all decades old. There were just so many complications that could –

"Yuji!" Marlene exclaimed, snapping him out of his daze.

Yuji decided to take control of the situation. "Come on," he said, putting her arm over his shoulder and helping her stand up. "Let's find you someplace to lie down. Can you walk?"

"I think so, but hurry." Awkwardly, the two of them moved on until they found a hallway filled with doors. Luckily, they soon found a room with a bed that was relatively untouched except for dust. Yuji pulled off the blankets and set Marlene down on the relatively clean covers. Just in time, too; because that's when the contractions started.

"Ah!" Marlene yelped briefly before stifling it. She had been trained as a soldier, and she would try and suppress her pain.

"Are you okay?" Yuji asked.

"Oh, sure, except for the fact that I'm about to push a person through me!" Marlene snapped at him. "I'm sorry. I'm just scared. Do you remember what we read about this? I'm having trouble recalling it." She actually did remember, but she wanted to give him something to focus on so he knew what to do.

Yuji tried to calm down and remember what he could. "After the onset of labor, contractions occur at intervals of ten to thirty minutes, with the intervals becoming shorter as time goes on. When enough dilation has occurred, the child is born." In frustration, Yuji punched the wall. "This shouldn't be happening! You weren't supposed to be due for another few weeks! Why didn't we bring anything with us?! We should have known this could happen!"

"Yuji!" Marlene exclaimed, louder this time. "We've got to make due with what we've got. If the baby and I are going to get through this, I'm going to need you.

Yuji pulled himself together. "You're right. Let's see. We're going to need towels, blankets, water, and whatever disinfectants are available. Will you be okay if I go look for those?"

"Just deal with the pain of contractions? Yeah, I can handle that. Just go, and hurry!"

Before he left, Yuji handed Marlene his sidearm, their only weapon. He wouldn't let her give it back to him. He felt safer knowing she had it.

Yuji ran off. Twenty minutes and two contractions later, he was back, carrying supplies.

"I found sheets and towels in a closet. I also found vending machines that still had water, and I've brought several bottles. There were also some soap dispensers near the sinks."

Marlene began to think that things were looking up, then she noticed that his right hand was bloody. "Did you punch through the vending machine?"

Yuji glanced at his fist and nodded. "Yeah, I was in such a rush I didn't think of protecting my hand. Anyway, what should I do now?"

"Just hold my hand," Marlene breathed as another contraction hit her. Yuji did just that.

The next eleven hours developed into something of a routine. Yuji would help Marlene with her breathing techniques, rub her face with a damp cloth, check how far along she was, hold her hand, and start over. The sun was setting, but there was still plenty of light left since their window faced the setting sun. The contractions came so close together that they were only moments apart. The pain was getting worse and worse, and eventually, even Marlene's discipline as a soldier wasn't enough to silence it. Finally, Yuji announced, "I think you're at ten centimeters. It's time."

"Finally," Marlene sighed, although she knew the hard part was still ahead. Yuji got up and started moving towards her side. "What are you doing?!" she screamed in disbelief. "Stay there!" Yuji realized what she meant and returned to the base of the bed. "Yuji, two things. First, when this is over, you are not touching me for at least four months! Second, next time, you're carrying the baby!"

Yuji chuckled. "I'll see what I can do." He made a bundle of blankets on the floor next to him to wrap the baby in. "Now you just need to push with your next contraction."

They didn't have to wait long. Another contraction, the strongest one yet, struck Marlene with a pain more intense than she had felt at anytime in her life, worse than any pain she had ever felt from fighting the Blue. She did her best to overcome the pain and just started pushing with all she had. She put all of her strength into pushing the wonderful little life that she and Yuji had created together out of its home for over eight months and into a new, larger world; a world free of Blue, a world that promised this child a life free of violence. "Aaahhh!"

"It's coming!" Yuji called. "I can see the head! Push, psuh!"

"What do you think I'm doing?!!"

"The head's through! The arms! The torso! It's out!" Yuji stood up into Marlene's line of sight, holding a crying child in his arms. "It's a boy! Our son, Marlene; our son."

Marlene weakly smiled. Yuji used his combat knife to cut the umbilical cord, then cleaned their son off, wrapped him in a blanket, and carried him over to Marlene. They both just gazed at the baby for a moment in silent wonderment of the miracle of life.

That silence was soon broken as Marlene let out a bloodcurdling scream. "Yuji! I'm having another contraction!"

Yuji was shocked. "What?"

"There's another baby! I need you back here!"

Yuji looked around frantically, and spotted an empty box close by. He carefully placed his still crying son inside it, then ran back to the base of the bed. Several moments later, he stood up, again holding a crying baby in his arms, wrapped in another blanket. His eyes were wet with tears and he felt overwhelmed with joy. "It's a girl, Marlene. We have a daughter."

He didn't hear her reply, so he said, "Marlene?" When she still didn't respond, he looked away from his daughter and saw Marlene, lying limply in bed, her eyes closed.

Yuji's eyes widened in terror and he screamed, "MARLENE!!!" He ran to her side, still holding their crying baby girl, whose screams were joined with those of her twin brother. Yuji quickly checked her pulse, and felt that it was still strong. He also noticed that her chest was still rising and falling, and he sighed with relief. She had only fallen asleep.

He knew she needed to rest after her ordeal, and it was nearly dark outside. He set up a flashlight and sat in a chair next to his sleeping lover, doing his best to take care of the children.

Little did either of the two newfound parents know that someone else was aware of what had transpired, and that someone else had other plans for the twins besides a long and happy life.

I hope you enjoyed. The story will start to take a more dramatic turn in the next chapter or two. I assure you, even if you didn't like this part, things will start to get more interesting. And if you find any of this too farfetched, it's my first fanfic. Please read and review. It helps my confidence. Thank you.


	3. Recovery

BETRAYAL 

I will probably improve upon this chapter later. If anyone's reading this, I decided you should at least know what happens next.

Marlene awoke the next morning, not feeling well, but alert. Yuji was sitting next to her, supporting two babies wrapped in a blanket on his lap. Both babies were asleep, but apparently Yuji wasn't.

"Hello," Marlene said to Yuji quietly. Yuji looked over at her and smiled.

"You're awake. I was so worried when you passed out."

Marlene smiled back. "You should know that something like that wouldn't kill me." She turned her gaze to her children. She felt great waves of happiness, contentedness, and love. "How are they?"

"As far as I can tell, they're fine. There don't appear to be any complications." He looked down at them. "They're beautiful. I just can't believe that we've brought these wonderful new lives into the world." He carefully stood up. "Would you like to hold them." She held out her arms, and he handed them over to her. She cradled them lovingly in her arms.

"I know that at least one of them is a boy. What about the other?"

"A girl."

Marlene felt so wonderful holding her children. "You know, we never decided on names. I think we should now."

"Okay. What do you think we should call our daughter?"

Marlene went over the names she had thought of in her head. "I was thinking about Alicia. She was just an innocent young girl until the B-cells claimed her."

Yuji didn't seem thrilled at that name. "I just don't think I'd be comfortable naming her after someone we knew who's dead. I don't think it's fair to our daughter."

Marlene understood what he was saying. "How about just Alice, then?"

Yuji smiled at her. "I think Alice is just perfect."

Marlene looked down at the beautiful, sleeping Alice, then shifted her gaze over to her son. "I got my turn. What do you want to call him?"

"I've always liked the name Ryan. What do you think?"

"I like it." They both looked down at their children and Marlene said, "Since I didn't get to say this yesterday, I'm going to do it properly now. Welcome to the world, Alice and Ryan." She looked at Yuji with tears in her eyes. "Yuji, thank you so much for them."

Yuji gently kissed her on the forehead. "And thank you, for giving me something to live for."

After several moments of silence, Marlene spoke up. "Yuji, you should head back to the shuttle and bring back an Armor Shrike."

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

Marlene nodded. "I'll be fine with these two. Just be sure to bring back the medkit."

Yuji left her with the sidearm and the twins and left the cryogenics facility. He returned to the shuttle and retrieved the Armor Shrike. Three hours after he left he returned to the facility with the Shrike. He brought the medkit back to Marlene, who was still in bed with the twins. He handed her the medkit and she gave herself an injection from one of the vials of medicines.

"I should be able to move in a few minutes," she said.

Yuji cocked an eyebrow. "They developed a medication that can put a woman back on her feet only hours after childbirth in just a few decades?"

"With the war against the Blue, the High Council wanted to make sure their female soldiers could be back on the field as soon as possible."

"Makes sense."

Several minutes later, Marlene was on her feet, though a bit wobbly. With Yuji carrying Ryan and Alice, they both headed for the Shrike.

"What about all that stuff you wanted to look for here?" Marlene asked Yuji.

"Forget it. No one's bothered them for two decades; a few more weeks won't matter."

When they got back to the Shrike, Yuji operated it while Marlene sat in the upper portion with the twins. They soon made it back to the shuttle. After giving Marlene more medical attention, the new parents turned their focus to their children. Sooner than they realized, the sun had fallen and they put the twins to bed, and they fell asleep that night.

Little did either Yuji or Marlene realize, someone entered the medical portion of their shuttle that night and then entered their sleeping area. That person quietly drew blood from both of the twins and took the samples back to the medical area. After examining both samples for several minutes, the figure had its answer.

"So, it's true. The B-cells continue to live. There is no other option. Those two must destroyed."

Sorry for the huge delay. Life is busy. I had to cut the the details in this chapter short to post it. I plan to clarifiy who this figure is soon. Be patient a little longer.


	4. Hope for the Future

_Author's note: I haven't updated in a long time. I wanted to, but just couldn't get around to it. But now I have. This is the end of this story. I don't know if anyone will read it all the way through, but I want to thank any that do. And thanks to all for the reviews. Enjoy._

Marlene slowly woke up from her rest. She felt weak and groggy, and assumed that she was still feeling the leftover effects of her pregnancy. She had regained practically all of the figure she had had before she was pregnant thanks to the medical resources on the shuttle. She thought about going over to check on her children. She smiled at that thought. Her children. Even after knowing she would be a mother for so long, she had never imagined the type of love and comfort she experienced by being near Ryan and Alice. She was so happy. She eventually decided she needed more rest, and if anything was wrong with them, the monitor she and Yuji had set up would warn her.

She was just about to drift off again when she heard a noise from the monitor. It was the sound of a door opening and closing. She sat up in a start, though still feeling weak. Someone was in the part of the shuttle with the children. And it couldn't be Yuji. He had told her that he didn't want to risk disturbing them till morning unless it was necessary.

Marlene turned on the lights and saw that Yuji wasn't in the room with her. A fear ripped through her that something was very wrong. She got to her feet and nearly collapsed to the floor. Something was wrong with her. Her body was much weaker than it should be. Calling upon resolve that only a mother fearing for her children can have, she was able to grab the gun in the room and quietly make her way towards the part of the shuttle where Ryan and Alice were.

_What's going on? I can't let anything happen to them. Maybe it's some survivors from the city who somehow made it inside the shuttle. _A horrible thought came to her._ What if it's Amick? She could be seeking revenge for my part in the change of leadership on _Second Earth.

She made it to the door outside the children's room. However, her body was nearing exhaustion. Still, she refused to stop. Gathering what strength she could, opened the door, and quickly entered the room, gun pointing forward.

There was only a small amount of light coming from the room through the window. She could only make out the dark outlines of objects. She saw a dark figure standing over the makeshift crib where the children were resting. The glint of a hypodermic needle could be seen in its hand.

"Don't move!" Marlene screamed. The figure turned towards her. Keeping her gun pointed at the unknown intruder, she reached out with her other hand and activated the lights.

It was Yuji. Marlene was shocked for a second, but quickly realized something was wrong with him. His eyes had an odd, glazed over quality to them, and his face lacked any kind of emotion. She also felt none of the warmth and kindness coming from him that she always had before. This was not the man she loved. "Who are you?" she demanded, trying to feign the exhaustion she was feeling.

Yuji seemed to study her for a moment, then spoke. His voice and manner of speaking were completely different. "Odd. The drug I placed in your food should have kept you unconscious for hours."

_That's why I'm feeling so weak. Maybe the medications I took for my pregnancy counteracted the drug somewhat._

"Drop it and move aside!" she demanded. After a beat, Yuji dropped the needle and moved away from the crib. Marlene moved towards the crib, keeping her eyes and gun trained on Yuji. She glanced inside the crib. Ryan and Alice were both alright, stetching in their sleep. "I asked who you were! I know you're not Yuji!"

Yuji seemed to regard her for a moment, then spoke. "You are correct. I am not your mate, though this is his body. I have shared it with him for the past eight months."

Eight months ago. That was about the time – "When we discovered the Blue graveyard, and the Will of the Earth." Marlene then realized what she was speaking to. "You're the Will of the Earth?"

"A part of it," he corrected her. "During the time I spent in communication with this being, I decided to imbue him with an extension of my being."

Marlene had to force herself even harder to fight the grogginess creeping at the corners of her mind. "What about the man I love? Does he still exist?"

"Yes. He is merely unconscious. I will return his body to him and leave once I have completed my purpose and cleaned the world of those two." He indicated the crib with his hand.

Marlene felt disgusted and horrified. "What? You are not going to harm them, I swear it. Why would you want to kill them?"

Yuji waited a moment before answering. "During the time I was in communication with this man, he allowed me access to all of his thoughts and memories, so that I might deem whether or not the life forms you refer to as B-cells would be again needed in case humanity became too numerous again. After I had finished deliberating, I decided the B-cells were no longer required in the world, and I purged his body of them. That left only one other possible source of the B-cells remaining." He glanced towards the crib.

"His, our children? Impossible."

"The two of you conceived them before I purged him. That left a remote possibility of a new type of B-cell being created."

"If you don't want to risk there being anymore B-cells, why didn't you just kill me or end my pregnancy early?"

"I decided there has been enough killing. There must be no more unnecessary deaths. So I waited until they were born to see if it was necessary. Earlier tonight, I took samples of their blood and analyzed them. I discovered they do possess a currently dormant, mutated form of the B-cell."

The idea of her children carrying B-cells disturbed Marlene greatly, but she kept focused on Yuji. "So you were going to use that needle I saw you with to kill them." His silence was answer enough. Marlene considered handcuffing him, but in her current state, she decided she couldn't risk getting close enough to him. She hoped a solution to this presented itself soon, otherwise she might pass out. "Why does it matter if they carry B-cells? Don't you control them?"

"As I said, these B-cells are different. I had never thought that one with the B-cells could conceive, but it seems this man was an exception. I have no control over these new cells. I cannot even remove the cells from the bodies of your children. If they are left alive, there is a remote chance that they could mutate into a new species of what you call the Blue, a species I would have no influence over, and they might breed and wipe out the remaining life on this planet."

Marlene understood what he was saying, but didn't believe the absurdity of it. "You're insane."

"You do not understand the power of the B-cells. The only reason that any life remains on this planet is because I held back their potential. So you must understand that I must eliminate this threat."

Marlene didn't budge. "Assuming you're right, how likely is it that they would change? One out of five? Ten? Answer me!"

Yuji didn't answer for a moment, as if he was calculating. "I would roughly estimate the chances as far less than that, in the thousands range. But that is irrelevant. Any threat to the planet must be disposed of for its future."

Marlene decided her best chance to end this and get Yuji back was to convince the Will of the Earth that it was wrong. "But they aren't a threat. You said yourself that the possibility of what you just described happening is virtually nonexistent. You don't have to kill them.

Yuji looked at her in what seemed to be annoyance and frustration. "Do the lives of these two mean more to you than the risk they pose? Now that this body has been purged of the B-cells, you can have more children that don't pose any risk."

"You don't understand what it means to be a mother. I could never replace these two lives, nor would I want to try. These two aren't just lives; they're hope; hope for humanity, hope for the planet, hope for the future. I would die to save them, and I know that Yuji would do the same. You may as well leave Yuji, because I will shoot you before I let you harm them. Please, I beg you, just leave."

Yuji shifted his gaze downward, as if taking her words to heart and considering them. Then, he moved towards her, fast; faster than Yuji had ever moved before. Marlene, in her condition, wasn't able to react fast enough and was knocked to the floor, the gun taken from her hands.

She looked up to see Yuji standing over her, the gun pointed at her head. Yuji's face was again one completely devoid of feeling or compassion. Marlene was afraid. "Yuji, don't let this happen," she quietly begged.

After a long moment, Yuji lowered the gun and walked over to the crib. "You need not fear. I have no wish to harm you. It will all be over when I have done what must be done." He pointed the gun inside the crib.

"Yuji!" Marlene screamed desperately. She was trying to get up, but her progress was slow. "YUJI!"

Yuji suddenly lifted his free hand to his forehead and started moaning in pain. The moans became louder as he backed a step away from the crib, dropping the gun to the floor and holding his head with both hands. He then collapsed to the floor, apparently unconscious.

Marlene, who had risen to her feet, observed the bizarre event. She realized the drugs were catching up to her and she too was about to lose consciousness. She moved quickly, retrieving the gun from the floor and grabbing a pair of handcuffs. She then quickly handcuffed both of Yuji's arms to a sturdy, vertical pipe on the wall designed to be grabbed for stability when the shuttle was in the air. With Yuji safely restrained, Marlene backed away from him, lying down on the floor and surrendering to unconsciousness.

Marlene awoke to the sound of her children crying, this time feeling more fully rested than she had last night. Remembering what had happened, she quickly looked over to where she had restrained Yuji and saw that he was still handcuffed to the bar, unconscious. Satisfied that he wasn't going anywhere, she proceeded to care for Ryan and Alice, waiting for Yuji to awaken.

It was early afternoon before he awoke, and the twins were sleeping again. Marlene had pulled a chair up to the crib and was studying her children intently. She was broken from her reverie when Yuji groggily spoke. "Marlene, what's happening?"

Marlene walked over to him and knelt down beside him. "Yuji, please just stay still for a moment," she asked him. He trusted her enough to comply. She stared into his eyes for several moments, verifying to the best of her ability that it was Yuji she was looking at. She then leaned in and kissed him on the lips. He returned the kiss with the love he had done so when she told him she was pregnant. After breaking the kiss, Marlene was convinced it was Yuji. However, she was still unwilling to take the handcuffs off in case the Will of the Earth emerged again. She gave him a drink to help him wake up, and then relayed all of the events of the night before.

Yuji was quiet as he listened to Marlene finish her story. He was quiet for awhile. Then he asked, "Are the twins okay?"

"Yes," Marlene replied. "I examined them. They were drugged to stay asleep when their blood was drawn, but aside from that, nothing's wrong."

Yuji breathed a sigh of relief, but then his mood became somber again. Marlene asked him, "Right before the Will of the Earth lost consciousness, it seemed to be in pain. Do you know what happened?"

Yuji struggled to remember. "All I remember is hearing you scream my name and then seeing I was pointing a gun at the children. I tried to move, but something was fighting for control of my body. Then everything went blank again." He looked up at her. "Marlene, we have to do something. I can't be with you and the children unless we do something about this presence inside me. It's too much of a risk."

Marlene was distraught at the possibility of losing Yuji, but she agreed with his assessment. "I took a sample of your blood and ran it through an analyzer. I also did a basic medical scan on you. I couldn't find any abnormalities in your body. Maybe it's gone now."

Yuji shook his head. "No. I know it's still inside me, waiting for a chance to finish what it has to do."

She sat down beside him and they both thought quietly for several minutes. "Any ideas on what to do?" Marlene asked.

"There's only one option I can think of," Yuji reluctantly replied. "We have to go back to the village. I have to meet with the Will of the Earth again." Before Marlene could rebut him, he continued. "It put this presence in me, and only it can remove it."

"Yuji, why would it remove it from you? It sees our children as a threat to all life."

"If I can meet with it again, maybe I can convince it that they don't need to die. Marlene, it's our only choice."

In the end, Marlene had no choice but to concede. She piloted the shuttle back to the jungle where they had landed so many months ago, when they had forever left _Second Earth_. Leaving Yuji in the shuttle, she went back to the village with Ryan and Alice. Upon arriving, she was given many congratulations for giving birth to two healthy children. She could tell that they were wondering where Yuji was, so she told them he was back on the shuttle tending some things. They wouldn't understand or believe her if she told them the truth.

She left the twins with a family that she trusted, than returned to the shuttle. Yuji was where she had left him. "They're in the village. You ready?" He nodded.

They left the shuttle together, Yuji's hands restrained securely behind his back. He was leading the way. Marlene walked behind him, carrying a gun. She felt somewhat guilty about the situation, but they had both agreed it was the best way to do this.

After a while, they found the crevice in the ground that had led them to the Blue graveyard eight months ago.

They paused outside its entrance, knowing that if they entered, it was quite possible neither of them would leave.

"Marlene, let me go in alone. I'm the only one who has to take any risk."

Marlene politely refused. "No, Yuji. I'm going with you. We started this together and we will finish this together." There being no point in arguing with her, they entered the crevice, and soon they found a path that led to the huge chamber with the shimmering column of blue light where the Will of the Earth resided.

Marlene was scared for Yuji. "Yuji, it's not too late to leave here. We can find another way around this."

But Yuji was dead set on this course of action. "I'm sorry. This is something that I have to do. It's the only way we can be sure to have a happy life together."

"What makes you think it won't harm you, not that you no longer possess the B-cells?"

"A part of it still resides in me. I'm sure that it will at least listen to what I have to say."

Marlene was grasping at straws by now. "But even if it does listen to you, how do we know it won't use you again like it did last time?"

Yuji turned to face her and saw she was crying. It was so similar to what they had been through eight months ago. Once again, Marlene faced the possibility of losing her lover and raising her children alone.

"Marlene, I promise you, that I will only return if I'm sure our children will be safe. Now, please, unlock these handcuffs and return to the surface. Once I meet with the Will of the Earth, it might not be safe in this cavern anymore. I'll meet you in the same place I did last time we were here." If his hands weren't bound, he would have held her face like he did months ago. "Marlene, I will always love you."

Marlene fought back the rest of her tears, and steadied her voice as best she could. "I love you, Yuji." They leaned in and kissed each other. They held the kiss for several moments, savoring taste, the smell, the love they had for each other. When they stopped, Yuji turned around and Marlene unlocked his handcuffs. Without looking back at her, he made his way towards the column of blue light.

Marlene watched him leave, knowing that she may never see him again. She then turned and headed back towards the surface.

It was sunset, two days later. Marlene was sitting at the same spot, in the same position, when Yuji had returned to her last time. None of the villagers disturbed her this time, for which she was thankful. She was determined to stay where she was as long as it took for Yuji to return to her. She did her best not to think of the possible outcomes of what might happen to Yuji.

It was half an hour before night settled in, and Marlene was still sitting. She heard footsteps beside her, and looked to see Yuji, smiling down at her. Overcome with joy, she sprang to her feet and embraced him in a fierce hug, which he returned.

When they let go of each, Marlene looked Yuji in the eyes and cautiously asked him, "It agreed?"

Yuji tentatively nodded. "It was more than just talk. It was as if we could see into the other's thoughts and sense their emotions. I understood why it considers Alice and Ryan a threat, and it understood my protectiveness of them. It conveyed to me exactly what would happen if their B-cells became active, but I was able to convince it the chances were so small that it need not interfere in the matter."

"So it will leave us alone?" Marlene asked.

Yuji hesitated before answering. "It agreed to, on the condition that if they do change, I would be the one to stop them." They were both quiet. "It could sense my sincerity in the matter. I know how dangerous they will be if they change, Marlene. If that happens-"

Marlene stopped him by pressing her finger to his lips. "No matter what happens," she said simply, "we'll face it together." They both smiled. "Yuji, let's go home."

As they walked, arm in arm, back to the village so they could be a family again, Yuji said, "You know, Marlene, I really think we will have a happy life."


End file.
